Shipping crate or drum.



N0.7s7,773. lvPATLNTEDL\ 1 R.18,19o5.

I J. LAINE L G. CASTILLON.

SHIPPING CRATE 0R DRUM. APLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 27, 1993.

UNITED STATES JULES LAINE AND GEORGE CASTILLON, OE NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

SHIPPING CRATE OR DRUM.

SPECIFICATION' forming' part 0f Letters Patent N0. 787,773, (lated April 18, 1905.

Application filed NOVemlJel 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,848.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JULES LAINE and GEORGE CASTILLON, citizens of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invent-l ed certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping Oratesor Drums; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in crates, receptacles, or drums for packing and shipping fruit, and is particularly useful in the packing and shipping of bananas, which may be placed in the receptacle or crate in bunches.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a crate or drum constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal central Section through the said crate or drum. F ig. 3 is a horizontal section taken upon the line a ZJ of Fig. 2. Eig. 4 is a sidc.elevation yof a crate or drum, showing Ventilating-slits formed therein.

In packing' and shipping various goods, especially fruits and the like, it is desirable tohave a receptacle, crate, or package in which the goods can be readily packed and from which theymay be as easily removed and which crate is especially capable of protecting the goods both from violence in shipping and from the conditions of the weather.

The present invention is designed to supply a crate or receptacle of this character, and while various kinds of fruit or other goods may be shipped in a receptacle of the character contemplated the invention is especially well adapted for the'shipment and protection of bananas in the bunch form.

In the drawings a crate or drum is illustrated which is particularly designed for the handling of bananas and which embodies the features of the present invention. This crate or drum is made up of an outer stiff protecting shell or casing 1, which is open at both ends and which is preferably provided with an inner lining or sacking 2, properly secured therein. The casing 1 may be made of any suitable stiff material; but we preferably form it, as shown in the drawings, of a series of longitudinally-arranged slats or strips 3, which are assembled in an approximate] y cylindrical form and are secured together at their ends by outer hoops 4 and one or more intermediate hoops, as 5. The hoops are nailed or otherwise secured to the slats or staves 3 for holding them together with the proper degree of strength. The slats or staves 3 are also preferably further held in proper position by nternal hoops 6 and 7 secured near the ends of the casing.v As a further means of binding the slats or staves together one or more cords 8 are employed, which are laced back and forth through openings 9, formed in the slats or staves and drawn tightly therethrough. The lacings of cord are preferably passed also through the inner lining or sacking 2 for binding it snugly to the inner surface of the casing 1. While three rows of laced cordage have been shown in the drawings, it will be apparent that a less or greater number may be ernployed without departing in the least from the spirit of the invention, the number of cords employed being regulated yby the strength required in the casing l. As furtherprotection to the fruit or goods placed within the crate the lining or sacking 2 may be stuffed or padded with straw, eXcelsior, or other material, as at 10, the said packing material being placed between the lining and the casing 1 and held snugly in position by the lacing 8.

This packing not only serves to protect the contents of the crate from bruising or injury, but may be varied in thickness to protect such contents from atmospheric conditions. 1f the contents of the crate are to meet low temperatures, the packing within the lining is made thicker; but if the materials are only to be shipped in Warm climates a small portion of packing is suiicient.

TheliningQ is preferably secured at one end of the crate by one of the inner hoops, as 7. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The other end of the lining is secured near the opposite end of the casing by the outer row of lacing at that end and is IOO then permitted to extend beyond the open end of the said casing. The extended portion of the lining or sacking is preferably provided with a draw-string, as 11, by which it may be drawn up and closed.

In inserting certain materials in crates, and especially in inserting a bunchof bananas, it is advantageous to place the said bunch in the crate by passing it in at one end in one direction, and when removing the bananas it is desirable to continue the direction followed in inserting the bunch for pulling it out of the casing. The casing 1 is therefore made open at both ends, and the lining or sacking 2 is also open at both ends. In order to close the casing at the lower end after the fruit has been placed within the crate, a door 12 is provided, which is hinged, as at 13, to the lower edge of the casing 1 and is provided at its opposite side with a fastening means, as 14. A simple hasp hinged to the door and capable of engaging a staple 15, secured to the casing 1, forms a strong and easily-operated means of securing the door in its closed position. Any suitable lock may be employed for holding the hasp upon the staple. It will thusbe seen that when a bunch of bananas is to be placed within the crate the door 12 may be opened and the bananas passed upwardly into the casing of the crate. 'Ihe upper or stem end of the bunch is placed in the crate first, so that in pulling the bunch into position within the crate there will be no danger of knocking the bananas from the stem. After the bunch has been drawn within the casing the door 12 is closed and secured. The opposite end of the lining 2 is also drawn together by the draw-string with which it is provided, and the package is ready for shipment. W hen the bananas are to be removed from the crate or drum, the draw-string 11 is loosened and the stem of the bunch is pulled upwardly, the bananas thus being Vmoved in the same direction as when they were inserted in the crate.

In shipping bananas or other fruit, when they are to be sent to a warm climate, the casing 1 may be ventilated, as shown in Fig. 4, by providing the slats or staves with a series of slots or apertures, as 16. These openings may be provided at the opposite ends of the casing or at intermediate points, if desired.

The crate or drum above described is admirably adapted for shipping bananas or other fruit and can be made in an economical manner, and by providing the casing and the lining with suitable packing material it is not necessary to employ loose packing material when placing the fruit therein for shipment.

The lacing' for binding the slats together may be passed through the apertures 9 or woven between the slats, as found most desirable, all within the scope of the present in- Vention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A crate or drum for fruit comprisingan outer protecting-casing made up of a series of staves, the said casing being open at the ends, a flexible lining fastened within the casing and projecting beyond one end thereof, a door i hinged to the other end of the casing, and when closed forming a protecting base therefor,

and means passing through the staves and flexible lining at intervals for binding the lining and staves together, and holding the said lining in position.

2. A crate or drum for fruit comprising a casing formed of a series of slats, the said casing being open at the ends, hoops upon the outer surface of the casin'g for holding them together, a lining secured within the casing and projecting loosely at one end thereof, a padding material inserted between the lining and the staves for protecting the contents of the casing. and means for drawing the iexible end of the lining together Yfor closing the top of the casing.

3. Acrate for shipping bananas on the stem comprising a casing formed of a series of slats having perforations therein, the casing being opened at the ends, a hinged infiexible door for closing one end of the casing, aflexible lining or fabric mounted in the casing and extending loosely at one end thereof for closing it, lacing-cords passing through the apertures in the staves and through the fabric forming the lining for holding the lining in position within the casing.

4C. A shipping crate or receptacle comprising an outer protecting-casing,an inner fiexible lining, lacing-cords passed through the casing and the said lining at intervals so as to form pockets between the lining and casing and material inserted in said pockets forming a padding for the protection of the contents of the crate.

5. AA banana-crate comprising a protectingcasing opened at both ends so that bananas on the stem may pass through it, a lining fabric mounted in the casing and projecting loosely at one end of the casing, a hoop engaging the other end of the fabric for holding it in place in the casing, a series of binding-cords passed through the casing and the fabric at intervals to form pockets within the casing, soft materials placed in the pockets for padding the inner surface of the casing, cord in the loose end of the fabric for drawing it together, and a hinged door forming a protecting-base for the other end of the casing.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JULES LAINE. GEORGE CASTILLON. Witnesses:

F. A. LAMBERT, VILLIAM DYsAR'r.

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